


Robin and Cordelia Modern AU

by JustKidd



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 14:59:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustKidd/pseuds/JustKidd
Summary: Cross-posted from FFN.Exactly what it says on the title. The love story (hopefully) of R&C in modern times. Kinda drabblish. Read at your own risk.WIP.





	1. The Obligatory Meeting at the Coffee Shop

_Today could not get any worse._

Cordelia sighed as she dragged her feet through the dim-lit alleyway, leaning her shoulder against the cold gray walls of the already closed shops.

_Why? Whywhywhywhywhy…_

She cursed herself as she tried, and failed, to still her legs that had started to feel like wet tofu since thirty minutes ago. Creeping slowly towards her apartment, she sighed again as the only three things she didn't want to remember from the event earlier played through her head again, and again, and again, like a broken record with no end in sight.

Sumia looked lovely in her white dress, while Chrom, looking sharp in jet black tux, just couldn't stop smiling at his blushing bride. And of course, the image of her stuffing her face with hard liquor at the after party. People said one could find a temporary happiness about halfway through the bottle, but apparently, that was a luxury she couldn't even get. The only thing she managed to get was severe headache and a hellish track back.

And as if on cue, all the liquid she consumed decided to come pounding from the pit of her belly.

Cordelia steeled her gut and clamped her mouth shut, pushing her hand on her lips. Her eyes hunted her surrounding when she realized she was alone in a dark alleyway. She could just go all out right then and there. She could, but she'd have to be literally lose her mind to do that. So she crawled her way through, eyes planted on the ground, praying to those that would listen she'd make it back in time.

She didn't know how much progress she had made, but after what felt like a ten-hour march, the area suddenly felt brighter.

"Are you okay, miss?"

She cramped her neck for a gaze at the voice coming from above.

A man was looking at her, eyebrows pushed together they would connect if he tried just a tad bit harder.

Cordelia leapt at him, clutching the piece of long wood he had in his hand, and stared him square in the eyes.

"T… toi-"

She failed to finish her word when the pressure from before came blazing through her throat and she pushed her palm back on her lips.

The man took a step back, pointed to the door behind him, and said, "to the left, right behind the-"

She rushed towards the entrance, hoping she did not pushed him to the ground.

She slammed the door and dove headfirst for the white throne in the cramped room and unloaded everything, along with all the resentment she had collected for the day.

_Today could not get any worse._

* * *

"Big night?"

The man was standing behind the counter when she finally found the courage to come out. He had a dark green apron on him, a detail she failed to realized before, and was wiping a mug with a big smile on his face.

"If you don't mind leftovers, how about a cup of coffee and some cakes?"

She was about to refuse the offer, thank him for the save, and go away, hoping she'd never see him again, when her belly let out a loud rumble and burnt her cheeks crimson.

"I…"

His smile softened as he placed the mug gently on the counter before him. "On the house," he said.

Very reluctantly, with a face even redder than her hair, Cordelia made way to the seat in front of him as he poured some coffee for her. He placed the jug beside the mug and gave her another smile. "Help yourself out," he said as he made his way back to the broom he rested against the front door.

Cordelia stared at the still somewhat smoking mug and the piece of chocolate cake in front of her for a few moments, before she finally realized where she was.

Not in her bed at her home, crying herself out.

Not wanting to waste the man's good intention, she sighed and took a sip of the bitter, black liquid that managed to clear her head, much better than those alcohol earlier. She sighed again when she realized she should've drank coffee instead of those. She won't be sleeping either way that night, could've done it without the headache.

She took a bite of the cake as she looked at her surrounding. With the exception of the white walls, making it felt brighter than any coffee shops she had ever been, even with the relative darkness of the hour, it was as coffee shop as one could be, with two coffee makers at the back of the counter, a few paintings on the side, and a couch facing to the left side, where two big windows would stare back at the people sitting there. The were one small bookcases, a keyboard, and a mic at one corner of the room. She imagined this was a shop people would come and pretend to do some smart, intellectual things with their laptops and notebooks, like those writers she read so much in her romance novels. For some reason, they were always writers, or reporters, or journalists.

She took another bite of her chocolate cake, when the door to the back room, just behind the counter, popped open and a small girl, dragging a brown teddy bear wandered in, groggily scratching her closed eyes.

Not knowing what to do, or say, Cordelia gulped the piece in her mouth, turned herself towards the entrance, and waved for the man sweeping the front of the shop. She pointed at the girl, who was now leaning back and forth against the wall, clutching her bear loosely in front of her.

The man just smiled.

"What's wrong, Mo?" he said as he walked through the door.

The girl looked up, as if she could see him through her closed eyelids, and mumbled something about pot.

He chuckled, took the stuffed animal from her and placed it on the counter. Cradling the now sleeping girl in his arms, he then turned to Cordelia. "Sorry to ask, but can you watch the shop for a bit?"

Cordelia smiled and nodded as she held the bear in its place, trying to prevent it from falling off.

He muttered a thank you, and rushed towards the bathroom, gently tapping on the girl's back, trying to keep her awake.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched the two disappeared before her. The thought that today had finally come around, even just a moment's worth, calmed her mind enough for to enjoy the last bite of her cake.

The duo came out a few minutes later and went straight for the back room. They came out immediately after, took the bear on the counter, and went inside again. He stepped outside after a few more minutes, gently closed the door, and went behind the counter.

"Sorry about that," he said as he took the now empty plate and brought it to the sink.

"It's fine. How old is she?"

"Five, but she likes to remind me she's already five and a half though."

Cordelia just chuckled at the answer.

"So, what's the deal with you? If you don't mind me asking," the man brought another empty cup on the counter and poured some coffee inside it. He sat right in front of her, took a sip, brought his hands under his chin, and waited.

"I'm sorry, I don't think that's appropriate. We don't even know each other," she gave him a smile and mimicked his action, resting her left cheek on the counter.

"Robin. Earlier was Morgan."

_Mo, huh?_

"And with how we met today, I don't think you should tell people what is appropriate."

_Touche._

Cordelia stared long at the rack behind the counter, and let out a deep sigh. "My best friend got married today…"

"Ah, one of those. Say no more-"

"I've been in love with the groom for years now…"

"O…kay. A little bit complicated. Could be wors-"

"I'm the planner and maid of honor."

And everything went silent after that. They stared at each other as the dead air lingered, waiting for the one to break first.

"Cheer up. There's more than one fish in the ocean." Robin chuckled as he gently tapped her shoulder.

Cordelia only managed a bitter smile at the unconvincing words. They spent the next half an hour finishing the pot of coffee just talking about unimportant stuffs, like the news and the weather. It was boring, pathetic even, to talk about the weather with a stranger she barely knew after she threw up a waterfall in his toilet. And other than the first time, Robin didn't seem to be interested in her personal life, which she was thankful for.

Robin gave her a box when she was leaving. Cordelia opened the package and frowned at the assortment of cakes inside. He was smiling when she looked at him next.

"Can I sue you if I got fat?"

"Sure. We can only pay with cakes though."

They shared a look at the silliness of the exchange and laughed. She thanked him, more for the save and company rather than the cakes, and made way for the door.

Cordelia took a long, deep breath at the front of the shop and forced herself to smile. She moved one step towards her home, but decided to wait beside the entrance instead.

About ten minutes later, the lights went off and the door sprung open. Robin came out of the shop, with Morgan rested firmly on his back. His right hand was supporting the sleeping girl, while his left struggled with a child's backpack and locking the door.

"Are you okay, sir?"

She smiled at him when Robin turned towards her. Without saying a word, Cordelia took the keys in his hand, locked the door, and slipped them inside the backpack.

They walked together about halfway to her home, until the road branched for his house and they had to say goodbye.

Cordelia stood there and watched as the backs of her new friends disappeared into the night. She was just glad the last thing she did that night wasn't drinking herself to death, throwing up beside the road and fell in the gutter somewhere. She mouthed her thank at the empty road and made her way home.


	2. Your Sweet Smile

"So, how are you holding up? Everything okay?"

Cordelia raised her face from the monitor she had been staring at for the last forty five minutes. Sully was looking at her, with some thick files in her hands. She frowned at the question from her friend, pretending to not knowing what she was talking. "Uh huh. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked back.

Sully raised her eyebrow, and shifted her eyes towards the empty seat beside hers. She sighed. "If you say so. Just, call me if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

"Sure."

Sully looked at her for a few more seconds, before she put the files on the empty desk, and went away.

Cordelia trailed her friend's back until she went through the door, adjusted her glasses, and went back to her work. She typed a few more words on the keyboard, deleted the last one, and stared at it again. She bit her lips, shifted her weight, tapped her fingers on the mouse, and still, nothing came to her. That was when the files Sully placed earlier entered her sight from the corner of her eyes. Slowly, she reached her hand, and pulled them towards her. Flipping through the pages inside, she decided to close the thing she was doing and focus on the new ones instead.

In truth, both of them knew she was far from okay. She ate all the cakes Robin gave her in one go that night. She didn't get out of her home and refused to take any call the following weekend. Usually she would resent coming to work today, but for now, she was thankful it was the first Monday of the month. Orders and claims came in like they'd close up shop tomorrow, she didn't even have time to feel depressed, not yet anyway. Placing the unimportant files, ones that were due in next week right next to her was probably Sully's way of showing she cared, at least that was what Cordelia hoped.

All the seats in the office were completely empty when she decided to go home. Now she found herself walking down the alleyway she was that night, with three boxes of pizza in her right hand. It was seven in the evening, and people were rushing from the way she came, into the few restaurants in the corner, or straight towards the apartment complex at the end of the road. She must had been so out of place there, she thought. She cursed her lack of judgment when her shoulder gave in and slumped ever so slightly. The pizzas would probably be cold by the time she got home.  _Who bought three boxes of extra large pizzas in shop nowadays?_

Cordelia stopped when she arrived in front of Robin's shop. Despite the light coming out, it was empty of customer, not surprising, giving the hour. She hesitated for a few seconds, before deciding to just go for it and started walking towards the shop.

A bell chimed above her as she opened and walked through the door, a detail she completely missed that night. The shop was devoid of anyone. She was about to leave when the door behind the counter opened and Robin popped out of the room.

"Welcome." He smiled when he saw her. "I see you're… not quite okay yet," he said, looking at the massive package in her hand.

Cordelia smiled back. "Thought I'd return the favor. Now we both can get fat together," she said as she raised the tied boxes in her hand.

Robin looked at her, shrugged, and turned his head back inside. "Mo, dinner."

And just as soon as he finished, a pink blur came rushing outside.

Morgan stopped and froze in place just a few feet after the door. She stared at Cordelia for a second and went hiding behind Robin's legs.

Robin sighed. He pried the girl from his thigh and lowered himself to her level. Looking at Morgan, he then pointed to Cordelia. "Do you see that lady over there?"

Morgan looked at her again, shifted her eyes back to him, and nodded.

"She brought us pizza. Go say hello."

Morgan's eyes widened at the words. She approached Cordelia with trembling, heavy steps. She turned back to look at Robin about halfway through, pouted when he waved for her to keep going, and practically crawled her way towards Cordelia.

She smiled when Morgan arrived in front of her. The girl was wearing a pink parka, with what seemed to be a pair of cat ears on the hood. She had a different stuffed animal in her hand today, one that resembled a rabbit covering the lower half of her face with it. Cordelia lowered herself to her level, and they looked at one another through the space between the ears.

_She has his eyes._

"Hi, I'm Cordelia. Nice to meet you, Morgan. Do you like pizza?"

Morgan kept staring at her for a few more beats, before finally nodded.

Cordelia smiled. "Then eat lots, okay? Cause I brought quite a few."

Morgan gave a bashful smile and grabbed her by the sleeve. Cordelia followed the girl towards a table at the left side, near the keyboard where Robin had already set up some plates and cups. He tried to hold Morgan under her shoulders when the girl used her rabbit as a make-shift weapon, flinging it by the ear to block his hands.

"I can sit myself."

Robin raised one eyebrow as he looked at her. He shrugged. "Alright, don't come crying to me when you fall."

"I don't cry."

"Right, cause you're such a big girl now." He ruffled her hair and went behind the counter.

Morgan pouted as she watched him walked away, placed her bunny on the table, and started to climb onto the unnecessarily tall chair, another detail she had missed the first time.

Cordelia held her breath when the chair screeched to the side as Morgan leaned onto the seat. The girl huffed after she found back her footing, and prepped herself for the next try. She dived forward and supported the chair in place when it rocked towards the five-year-old in her second attempt. She smiled when Morgan looked at her immediately after. The girl continued, again, this time with Cordelia holding the chair in place. She let out a relieved sigh after Morgan was finally seated. The girl giggled when she tucked the chair closer to the table.

Robin came back and placed a pot of hot chocolate on the table. "Thought you'd want to sleep tonight." Cordelia smiled and he nodded. He took the bunny and put it onto Morgan's lap. "Don't drop it," he said as he took his seat. Morgan squeezed the stuffed animal as soon as it got in her hands.

"Okay," Cordelia opened the bag she had and looked through the contents, "I have vegetarian, seafood, and beef barbecue, which-"

"Meat!"

She raised her face from the bag when Morgan cut her off.

"Seriously? Can't you show some restraint?" Robin said as he put a piece of white cloth over the girl and her bunny.

Cordelia stammered for a beat before she knew what to say. "Are you sure? It's quite spi-"

"Meat." Morgan cut her again, and giggled afterwards.

Robin just rolled his eyes.

And Cordelia could only smile. "Meat it is, then."

Morgan started clapping at gearing her words, but was stopped by Robin almost immediately. He slipped his hands underneath the cloth, where the girl's hands were, pulled them out, and placed them firmly on both sides of her plate. "Can't you stay still for even a second?"

And just like that, Morgan straightened her back, pulled her chin up, and looked straight forward, not saying anything.

"And what are you supposed to be now?"

"I'm a princess. Princess don't make noise."

"Princess don't eat pizza either."

Morgan's posture collapsed in an instant following Robin's remark. She looked at the smirking man and pouted.

Cordelia could only smile by herself at the duo's banter. Somehow, for some reason, being with these two managed to make her stop caring about her problem, at least until she was alone again. "Why bother being a princess if you can't eat whatever you want," she said, put a slice of pizza on Morgan's plate, and winked at the girl.

Just as fast as it clouded, Morgan's face brightened again. She turned towards Robin with a smug look on her face, making him rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just be quiet, okay?"

Morgan started nibbling and never bothered to answer him again. Robin poured some chocolate drink into a mug in front of her. "You want ice with this?"

Morgan, still chewing, looked at him and nodded. Robin wiped the sauce sticking to her cheeks and looked towards Cordelia. She mouthed her gratitude, but moved her head sideways. He ruffled the girl's hair and went back behind the counter. He came back with a container of cracked ice, put a few in Morgan's mug and sat again.

"How's work?" he said, reaching for a slice.

Cordelia swallowed the piece she had in her mouth and waited for a moment. "Same, I guess. Can't complain. Speaking of work, I just notice, this place is kinda empty every time I'm here. Any comment?"

"That's because you're like, half of our customers. Why do you think I gave you those cakes before?" he said as he supported Morgan's mug when she reached for it. He brushed her bangs aside as she brought it to her mouth.

Cordelia could only chuckle.

Like when they first met, they finished the rest of the box mostly in silence, and some chuckles and giggles, courtesy of Morgan. A few customers did came in the hour and a half she spent there, in which Robin left to tend to them. Morgan did not talk much, but she smiled a lot, something Cordelia realized was very contagious.

She was about to leave when the shop was completely empty again, before she remembered the event of that day. She asked Robin if she should stay a while longer, which he refused. He pointed to the sign on the door, which said 'OPEN'.

"We had a stock count the other night, so I had to stay late. You were lucky."

She blushed. "Yeah, thanks again for that. Alright, I'm off now. See you again Morgan." She waved to the girl and turned, but stopped when she felt a tug at her sleeve.

Morgan had her hands around her wrists. She let it go and put them inside her pockets when Cordelia turned back, searching for something. She brought out a candy, wrapped in red plastic and gesture it to her.

"For the pizza?"

Morgan nodded, and gave her the sweetest smile she had ever seen.


	3. The Set Up for...

Cordelia took a long sighed as she looked at the pile of clothes on her bed. She hated this time of year. It was the odd period between summer and autumn, when the air was already cold but the sun still out in full glory, made it hard for one to choose their clothes. It would be too cold for just one layer, and, later in the day, too hot for more. She didn't actually mind the cold, but it would be weird to go out in t-shirt and jeans when everyone was already in their full winter gear.

She sighed again as she looked around her room for inspiration, when her eyes stopped at a drawing of a stick figure in a skirt with bright, neon-red broom for a hair, and three rectangles stacked as high as its waist on the side. Cordelia smiled. Even now, she could still hear Robin's loud groan when Morgan gifted the drawing to her and made her promise to take her to the park, which she agreed to, for some reason.

So here she was, alone in her room, picking the most suitable outfit for today. Judging from their few encounters, Morgan's mode of transport seemed to be running instead of walking, at least towards someone she knew or something that piqued her interest, so she needed to be able to move fast. And the time of the year, coupled with her lack of sporting clothes did not make things any easier.

…

…

…

_Crap._

She cursed herself when she finally remembered the reason her clothes selection did not extend to sporting goods; she couldn't even run fifty paces without stopping and huffing herself. How was she going to keep up with a five-year-old with unlimited energy that only shut down when she went to bed. And then the clock started ringing, indicating it was ten, so she had about thirty minutes to get dressed and go the shop.

_Screw it._

Cordelia huffed her bangs away from her eyes, put on a t-shirt and a loose-fitting jeans, and topped it off with a thin cardigan. She pulled her hair into a low ponytail and brought it forward over her left shoulder. She was out of her apartment not ten minutes later.

* * *

Morgan was talking to a pair of middle-aged couple when Cordelia arrived. The girl gave them her signature smile when they patted her head, and pouted as she playfully moved her head sideways when they pinched her cheeks.

And then their eyes met, and Morgan's face went brighter than the scorching sun. She burst through the couple straight towards her, swinging the bear in her hand by its arm. Cordelia lowered herself just in time for Morgan to ram her face into her shoulder. The suddenness was enough to throw Cordelia off balance, and she stumbled backwards onto the cold bricks with the child in her arms.

"Ouch," Cordelia rubbed the back of her head, more surprised than hurt, "Morgan…"

And Morgan only giggled.

"Gosh, are you two okay?" the older woman came to look at them. She pulled the still giggling Morgan away from Cordelia and lowered herself as well, checking her for any bruises. "You know you can't do that to strangers."

Morgan stopped and took a deep breath before finally answering. "We're friends. It's OK."

"No, it's not okay." Robin's voice suddenly came about, making Morgan's face straight as a ruler. He was already standing behind the girl, arms crossed, alongside the older male from before. "Side field, now." He moved a few steps away from them, and Morgan reluctantly followed.

The older woman chuckled as she watched Robin talked to Morgan. Cordelia could only smile when she looked at her. The couple said their goodbye, and left, leaving Cordelia alone to see what would happen next.

Morgan stepped slowly towards her, face down, clutching her bear tight in her arms. "Sorry…"

Cordelia smiled and patted her head. "It's okay. I'm not hurt, see?"

Morgan looked up towards her, and smiled. She looked back to Robin, waiting for his approval.

Robin stared for a moment, and pinched her nose. He had a good full second before Morgan twisted her head out and hugged Cordelia's thigh, pressing her face against it, making sure her nose was completely covered.

"Corry…"

"It's Cordy, actually."

"It's Miss Cordelia."

Morgan pouted as she looked at Robin, but went back to Cordelia's thigh when he extended his hand at her face again.

"Just Cordy is fine," Cordelia said as she lightly rubbed the girl's head.

Robin rolled his eyes when Morgan looked up and smiled. "Try to behave yourself, please?"

Morgan nodded and gave him her teddy bear as she grabbed Cordelia's hand. She lightly tugged at her hand and dragged Cordelia towards the direction of the local park, while her whole upper body twisted backwards as she waved at Robin. Cordelia had to stop and made sure Morgan was facing the right way before they resumed their walk.

* * *

Morgan spent the rest of their journey singing, and humming, in places she couldn't remember the words. A cheerful and catchy song that Cordelia had never heard before. She concluded it might be the theme of a cartoon or superhero show from the overabundance of the word justice, and how Morgan would jump, one hand in the air whenever it came up.

They stopped about halfway through, when a distant boom echoed through the morning sky. Morgan stopped and looked at the sound's general direction.

"Guess the carnival's ending soon," Cordelia said as she also looked at the direction Morgan was looking, waiting for the next sound to disturb the peaceful morning.

"The carnival?"

"The summer carnival. They shoot fireworks every day on the last week." Cordelia looked down, only to be met with Morgan's hopeful eyes. She smiled. "If we both talk to him, maybe we can convince your father to let me take-"

"Tomorrow." Morgan practically jumped and grabbed her by the waist. "We close tomorrow."

"Why don't we talk with him first."

Morgan pouted. She turned the other way, and tugged on Cordelia's hand. "Now. Let's ask him now."

"But the park…"

"Not important. We'll go later."

"I see."

And Cordelia could only chuckle.

* * *

Cordelia pushed the doorbell with a slight nervousness in her belly. The event on their first meeting, and the lack of any mention of her, led Cordelia to conclude that Morgan's mother was not with them, for the moment at least. Or she was just really busy these past few weeks. The thought that the lady of the house might open the door and see an unknown woman sent shivers down her spine.

"Just a minute."

She let out a relieved sigh when Robin's voice came out from beyond the door. She moved out of the way when the door sprung open.

Robin gave her a smile when their eyes met. "Morning. Sorry, Morgan's still not ready yet." Then something seemed to light up in him. He smirked and looked towards the back of the house. "Mo, Cordy's here. Hurry up or we'll leave you."

A squeal came out from where he was looking. "I'm out. I'm out." Morgan emerged from the left side that was hidden behind a wall, wet from head to toe, with only a white towel wrapped around her. She giggled when she saw Cordelia, and disappeared beyond another wall on the right. "Daddy. Hurry up."

Robin sighed. "This could take a while. Why don't you come in first? Just take anything you want from the kitchen," he said as he made his way towards the back.

Left all alone, Cordelia hesitated at first, but decided to take the step inside the living room when a small cork board at the other end of where she was standing caught her attention. She arranged her shoes neatly beside the sneaker and the small, red boots, and weaved her way through the small table between the couch and the television towards the corner of the room.

She smiled.

The sunlight coming in from the window next to her made the photos pinned on the board glittered to her eyes. The first one entered her eyes was of Morgan in a straw hat, smiling as she showed the seashells in her hands to the camera. The one right next to it was of her crying and clutching her partially wet blouse as Robin went chasing the hat in the background. There was one where she had a triangle hat on her head, spots of chocolate all over her face and hands, sitting behind a crumbled cake with three smoking candles on top of it.

Cordelia followed the trail of older and younger Morgan, and the occasional Robin in the background, until she arrived at the bottom left corner of the board, where a picture frame, sitting quietly beside a line of Matryoshka dolls on top of a small shelf, waited for her. And for some reason, she was pulled to take the frame into her hand.

It was a photo of a woman, dressed in a patient garb. Her blond hair was dull, and pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, where a few strands of her bangs had came loose from the tie and stuck to her forehead. Black bags hung under her eyes and her lips were dry and on the verge of cracking. And yet, the tender smile and the content gaze and the glowing expression made her the most beautiful woman Cordelia had ever laid eyes upon. She couldn't help but trace the spot on the picture where the sleeping baby had the woman's finger in a tight grip.

"Cordy." She put the frame back to its place when she heard Morgan's excited cry behind her. She turned around and lowered herself for the girl. She was ready this time, so instead of pushing them both to the ground, Morgan gave her a hug as she dove into her arms. The girl grabbed her by the hand and dragged her towards the entrance. "Hurry up. The carnival's gonna close."

"And whose fault is that?" Robin was still at the far back, checking the camera in his hands.

Morgan ignored him, and started putting on her shoes. She was practically jumping outside the front door, urging Robin to hurry up, and Robin went out of his way to make the act of inserting the key into the keyhole and twisting it right far longer than it should. Morgan snatched his hand just as he put the keys inside his pocket. "Not holding hands is dangerous," she said.

"That's my line."

Morgan smiled, and gestured her other hand at Cordelia, which she was more than happy to oblige.


	4. Totally Not a Date

Cordelia froze, eyes wide and jaw dropped at the sheer number of people they had to get through before they could even see the front gate. The massive flood of people heading towards the small opening pushed them together tighter than a pack of cheap sardines in a clearance sale. She felt her cheeks warmed up when she realized how close she and Robin were, which wasn't helped by Morgan's smile.

"Daddy…."

A muffled noise from below broke their gaze at each other. They both looked downwards, only to find Morgan pinned between them, with her face planted on Robin's thigh and both arms already raised above her shoulders. Looking up, she pouted and bobbed a few times when he just stood there, laughing. He gave in a few seconds later and scooped the girl into his arms, planted a kiss on her puffed up cheek as he brought her over his shoulder.

Morgan giggled as she patted Cordelia. "I'm taller than you now."

Cordelia smiled, and Robin sighed.

They went through the gate about ten minutes later. Looking back, it had been a few years since she set her feet here. The rides were more or less as she remembered, if not a little more used. The small booth right beside the entrance was still there, where they distributed the map of the whole compound. Robin had it opened right in front of his face, looking at it like a seasoned adventurer, while Morgan balanced herself by hugging the upper part of his head. She looked along with him for a moment, before grabbing the piece of paper, rolled it into a crumpled pole, and pointed straight ahead.

"North," she said excitedly.

Robin sighed, again, and looked at Cordelia.

Getting the hint, Cordelia smiled. She took Morgan's hand in hers and gently moved it about thirty degrees to her right.

"North?"

"North!"

That was how they started their day, full of giggles and sighs and smiles.

* * *

They weaved through the clumps of people, occasionally halting their steps when Morgan would rock her whole body, demanding them to stop. Each and every time, she pointed at anything that caught her eyes with her make-shift cane, and pointed to another thing before the adults could even answer. She pointed at the candy corn seller, asking what that was while her eyes set on white teddy bear half her size sitting on top of a shelf at the dart game stall right across.

She already had both hands reaching for it while Cordelia's eyes were still on the candy corn seller.

"Hey, hold still."

"There, daddy. Let's go there first."

Robin looked up, and stared at the girl for a few moments. "You do know you need to win that, right?"

"Win?" Morgan had both her eyebrows pushed together, head tilted to the side.

Robin sighed. "Come on, then. First life lesson of the day."

Cordelia smiled as she followed the two of them to the booth, where Robin stood Morgan on the ground and asked the keeper for one game. The man at the booth put three darts on the counter, which Robin took one and showed it to Morgan.

"This part is sharp, okay," he said as he pointed to the front end of the dart, "don't touch it."

Morgan stared at the tip for a moment, nodded, and went straight for it. Robin jerked his hands backwards and got it out of the girl's reach just in time.

"What did I just say?"

Morgan pouted, and went for the ones on the counter instead. She lightly squirmed when Cordelia intercepted her hands and hugged her from behind, making sure Morgan's hands tucked firmly inside hers. The girl looked up to her with puffed out cheeks.

"Let's learn how to play first, okay?"

Morgan stared at her for a few seconds, blew out the air inside her mouth, and very reluctantly, nodded.

"Every time."

Morgan pouted, Robin rolled his eyes, and Cordelia kept on smiling.

Robin went on to teach Morgan how to play the game, throwing the first dart at the biggest target, and was rewarded with a candy, which he put inside of his pocket after showing it to Morgan. The second dart flew through the air and planted itself dead center on a smaller target. The shopkeeper came out and gave him a small, wing-shaped ornament for his effort. Robin threw the last dart randomly on the air and watched it plopped to the floor. He raised his hand at the shopkeeper and looked at Morgan. "You get nothing if you can't hit anything."

Cordelia finally released Morgan after all the darts were safely back inside the booth. She could only offer an apologetic smile when the girl pouted at her afterwards. She was saved when Robin called for Morgan to try the game. The girl turned towards her father with the frown still on her face, which Robin took away by a rub above her nose where her brows touched, and made her giggled. She jumped on the stool that the shopkeeper had set and hugged the counter, waiting for him to come and place her darts on it. She clapped her hands when they finally arrived, grabbed one, and threw it at the smallest target before Robin could even get to her. The dart spun clumsily in the air, hit the target with its side, and dropped like lead. Morgan looked at the dart rolling on the floor for a second before reaching another one.

"Stop." Robin sighed and crouched. "Why are you always so impatient? Didn't you see how I did it?" He placed a dart inside Morgan's hand in the correct way and gently rocked her forearm back and forth a few times.

Morgan repeated the action a few more times after Robin let her go, and finally snapped her arm. The dart flew upwards in a shallow arc and struck the back wall, missing the smallest target by a few inches. She pouted.

"Do you have to go for that one? There's perfectly easy targets right there." Robin pointed at the cluster of large, clear targets on the other side of the wall.

"I want the big one…"

"Well, you need practice to get the big one. Get a small one today, or nothing at all."

With her lower lip still jutting out, Morgan picked up the last dart and threw it. It hit one of the bigger target just inside the edge. The shopkeeper came and gave her a small, wing-shaped ornament that was identical to the one Robin got earlier.

Morgan stared at it for a moment. "It's small…"

Robin sighed, and placed his reward inside her hand. "There. Now you have two."

"... not what I want…"

Robin ruffled her hair gently, "that's life for you. Come on. I'll buy you one when we get home."

Morgan nodded while still staring at the ornaments inside her hands.

"Guys, aren't you forgetting something?"

Robin turned and looked at her with a questioning face. Morgan also turned towards her direction, but was still fixated on the things in her hands.

"One second." Cordelia went towards the counter, paid for her turn, aimed the dart, and hit it dead center. She didn't turn to see, but she could actually feel Morgan's smile imprinting itself on her back as the shopkeeper handed her the white teddy bear.

And she was right.

Morgan already had her arms forward, with a beaming smile on her face as she waited for her.

Cordelia was about to hand her the stuffed animal when another thought entered her mind. She hugged it and smiled at the girl instead. "I'm sorry, Morgan, but she's mine. I won her fair and square."

Hearing that, Morgan's lips went crooked again. Her hands dropped and her shoulders slumped. She looked even smaller than before. Cordelia wasn't proud of what she did, but the sight, and speed of Morgan's changing expression was tempting. It took every fiber of her being not to squee.

"But since we're such good friends, I'll trade for her, how does that sound?"

And just like that, Morgan's face went bright again. If changing faces were in the Olympics, Morgan would end on the podium every time. The girl pushed both ornaments she got earlier into Cordelia's hand, where she finally had a good look at the wing-shaped hair clips. Morgan fished a brown tortoiseshell button from her jacket pocket and placed it together with the hair clips, when Robin suddenly called for her. He took the button and looked at it for a second.

"Do you know how long I've been looking for this?"

Morgan, of course, was busy emptying her pockets and ignored him completely. She produced a half-eaten chocolate bar, paused, put it back, and went for Robin's pocket next.

"Hey, that's mine," Robin said when Morgan took the candy he won earlier and gave it to Cordelia.

Cordelia smiled when the girl looked at her with glowing eyes. She closed her palm and handed her the bear. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Morgan hugged it and went spinning for her father. "I wanna go home now."

Robin raised his eyebrows at Morgan's words. He lowered himself to her level, "do you even know why we come here today?"

It was Morgan's turn to contort her face in confusion. "To get the bear," she said as she shoved the white stuffed animal to his face.

Cordelia definitely heard the loud thud as Robin's jaw hit the dry pavement. Finding herself lacking of any solid answer for his questioning face, all she could do was shrug.

* * *

They spent the next hour or so trying the different rides there, and Morgan insisted on riding the Pegasus at the merry-go-round. Just as their turn came up, she dragged Cordelia towards the only one, and jumped straight on the saddle. Robin, camera in hand, hopped onto the wyvern right behind them. He called to them with a gruffed up voice when they started moving, making Morgan giggled with excitement. She urged Cordelia to ride faster and lose him. Caught between two seasoned adventurers, all she could do was play along. She hugged the girl sitting in front of her with one hand, cradled the bear in the other, and rocked her body left and right, imagining them banking through canyons and bursting through clouds as best she could.

The adults spent their entire morning following Morgan's feet, which seemed to have unlimited energy. She moved from one stall to another, waving the bar's hand at them when she found something that caught her eyes. From the cars that won't stop hitting each other to the giant cups you could inside, Morgan warped through the site as if she was the only one there. She even stopped at another game stall that had the same bear she was hugging on display. And again, she pouted when Robin reminded her the one in her arms. Of course it wasn't long before she started giggling and running again, at which point Cordelia finally let out the sigh she had been holding.

This time it was Robin's turn to chuckle.

Cordelia couldn't even imagine where Morgan stored the energy to keep running all day in her small frame. Fortunately for her, the five-year-old finally stopped in front of a massive gate that was built in the shape of a dragon's head. She stopped right at the center of the opened jaw, making it seemed like she was about to be devoured by the dark purple dragon baring its bone-white teeth.

"Hey there. Are you lost sweetie?"

Startled, Morgan skipped in place and stared at the young woman at the booth right next to her. She went scrambling behind her father's thigh when they arrived. Robin, rolled his eyes.

"Sorry about that."

The woman returned his smile. "It's fine. Didn't mean to startle her," she paused, "the next show is about to start if you're interested?"

Robin was opening his mouth when a timid yes came from behind him. Staring at its origin for a few seconds, he finally turned towards Cordelia. "Guess it's time we get some rest, huh?" He looked at the woman in the booth and raised three fingers at her. "Tickets for three please-hey!"

And just like that, Morgan dove headfirst into the dragon's throat.

Shaking her head, Cordelia went after her. Just a little bit more, and she could finally get a seat.

Or so she thought.

It was some kind of superhero show, where audience participation was highly encouraged. About halfway into it, Morgan's voice echoed through the hall, alongside the villain's unmistakably evil laugh.

Sitting in the corner of the stage, lightly bound by some rope around her body, she sighed as she watched Morgan thrust her fist to the air in front of her, cheering the teenage boy playing the hero. She let her eyes wandered through the area as the characters traded some kid-friendly insult at the center of the stage. She stopped when she met Robin's, who watched from the audience area with a smile on his face, which went even bigger when she half-pouted at him.

And then the camera came up.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. Hugging the white bear in her lap, she smiled as she watched Morgan mimicked the hero's movement with clockwork precision.

The girl jumped when he jumped, kicked when he kicked, and screamed when he fell down and pinned by extras in zombie suits. She shouted when the villain approached him with a sword in his hand. He was about to strike when a bright light shone above the hero, making the villain flinched. Then a high-pitched scream echoed through the room and a teenage girl riding a mechanical pegasus strode to the center of the stage. She jumped off and pointed the spear in her hand at the man playing the villain, checking his steps. The young man pushed himself up and moved beside her, ready for round two.

And just as Morgan cheered with excitement, the hall went dark. Bright, purple and red lights flickered through the center of the stage, followed with a thunderous boom. When the light went back to normal, the villain alone was standing. The two teenagers lied unmoving at his feet.

"No!"

Morgan screamed at the new development. As if on cue, the villain looked towards her with icy cold glares. Without saying a word, he moved towards them. The ominous sound became louder and louder with each step he took. Ignoring Morgan, he looked at Cordelia instead. Grinning, he extended one hand at her.

Not knowing what to expect, Cordelia tightened her arms around the bear. She was about to close her eyes when Morgan rushed before her and slapped his hand away.

With both hands extended to her side, Morgan glared back at him. "You're not hurting Cordy."

He chuckled. "Really now. And who's going to stop me? You, little girl?"

"I'm not afraid of you." Morgan raised her left hand above her shoulder and opened her palm flat as if she was balancing a tray on it.

The man grinned wider and jumped a few steps backwards.

The music turned upbeat, drums pounding and guitars blazing, and the lighting went from red to purple to yellow and to red again, as they locked themselves in a staring contest. Finally deciding she had enough, Morgan pointed at him with her right hand.

"Thoron."

"Thoron."

The music stopped. The hall flashed bright for a moment and turned pitch black. The man was on his knees, panting when the light came back on. His eyes glared at the edge of the stage.

"You!"

Cordelia looked to where he was looking to found another teenage girl on stage, wearing the same brown cloak as him in a pose similar to Morgan, only with a book in her left hand.

She walked towards them and patted Morgan on the head.

"Good job protecting mommy. I'll take it from here."

Cordelia was about to correct her, but decide to let it go instead when she saw Morgan's signature smile directed at her. She smiled back and motioned for her to keep her eyes on the stage.

And the action continued. The new hero brought her friends back to life, the villain conjured up even more zombies, Morgan jumped around as she cheered, and it all ended with a literal bang fifteen minutes later. And for her effort in their quest against evil, Morgan was made an honorary member of their rank. She received a thick coloring book designed like the tome the last hero had, and a kid-sized cloak identical to hers and the villain's, which was still too big for her. That did not stop her from wearing it right away though.

They got out from the dragon's mouth planning where to have lunch when Cordelia excused herself to go and freshened up. And Morgan, with her newly given power, insisted on escorting her, which Robin refused almost immediately. Both of them spent the next five minutes convincing him it would be alright for Morgan to follow her, and when all else failed, they pouted at him.

"Really? You too?"

"I had to. We've bonded."

Robin relented. He sighed as he pointed to a big tree not far from where they stood. "I'll wait there. Call me if anything happen. And you," he pointed to Morgan, "you listen to her, okay?"

Morgan snapped herself straight, gave him a salute, and giggled afterwards.

Satisfied, Robin saluted back. "I'll find some place we can eat around here."

Cordelia smiled and extended her hand at Morgan.

* * *

Cordelia stared blankly at the empty wall beside the entrance to the bathroom. She looked at her watch, back to the wall, and looked at it again just to be sure. She swore, she was just gone for a few minutes.

"Morgan?"

Saying Morgan's name finally snapped her out of her trance. Her eyes went wild through the surrounding area, praying she would somehow catch a glimpse of the girl's blonde hair or her brown cloak or her red shoes. There was a man pushing a cart of balloons of different shapes and sizes, and a boy dragging his mother not far behind. Two young couples stared at her as they moved to the opposite direction like she was another attraction there. They ignored her and went on their way when their eyes met. A group of teenagers were laughing among themselves at one corner of the rest area. Another couple moved past her as they cooed at the crying girl between them.

But no Morgan.

Cordelia rushed back inside the bathroom. She came back out and went twice around the small building, peeling her eyes for the girl with the big white bear, squeezing every fibre in her brain if she had missed a cry or scream or shout. She asked the older woman with her grandchild sitting on a bench not far from where she stood. She rushed back and wondered if the high-schoolers could even understand the thing she was saying. She even stopped a man in a clown-suit that was just passing the area. And still, no Morgan.

She reached for her phone and fumbled through the names. Her eyes wandered wildly as she prayed through her jagged breaths for Robin and Morgan's familiar banter, tapping her foot and grinding her teeth for the beeps that refused to end.

The wait for Robin took forever. Cordelia rushed towards him when she spotted his brown jacket at the corner of her eyes and burst into an incomprehensible mess right after. She stopped and looked at him when she registered the soft pats on her shoulders.

"Calm down, Cordy, deep breaths. She couldn't have gone far."

"But I can't find her. I've looked everywhere, she's just-"

"Cordy, stop, please. We'll find her, okay?"

Cordelia finally composed herself just enough to actually looked at him. What she wouldn't give to believe that gentle smile directed at her, that everything would be alright, and they'd someday looked back at today with a laugh if not for the shaking hands on her shoulders. She knew she had to, but she just couldn't. And then the heat pooled behind her eyes seeped out from their corners. She nodded and gave his hands a tight, reassuring squeeze.

With all her efforts earlier not getting any result, they went to the information booth shortly after, and was greeted with a smile by the staff.

"Hi, we would like to report a missing child."

Her smile dropped off in an instant as her eyes moved from Robin to the computer in front of her. "Can you tell me more details?"

The woman nodded and asked a more questions as her fingers busily tapped on the keyboard. Robin brought out his camera and Morgan's magic tome and showed them to her. She stopped to looked at the items in his hands, nodded a few more times and went back to her keyboard.

"And this was twenty minutes ago?"

Cordelia hesitated for a moment before she finally registered the question. "Y, yes. About twenty, thirty minutes ago, at the general rest area."

"Just a moment." The woman looked at the monitor again for a few more moments. "Hmm, there's no missing child with your description reported today." She continued working the keyboard and frowned right after. "The Taguel Parade passed your area about the time you mentioned," she looked to them and continued, "it's one of our random events. We have actors in bunny rabbit suit showing the attractions we have here to kids and parents in a group. She might have followed if she saw them."

And right in that instance, the weight on Cordelia's shoulders was finally lifted. It still didn't mean anything, but at least she could breathe again.

"Can you tell us where they are now?"

"Certainly, sir." The woman printed a map with a thick red line running through the middle and handed it to Robin. "I can't say for certain, but they should be around this area. I hope you'll find her soon. And would you mind leaving your number? We'll inform our field staffs, just in case."

"Right. Thank you."

* * *

They went straight to the area shown by the staff and found the group being led by the giant rabbit to a booth of candy apple and caramel popcorn.

Robin and Cordelia joined them, peeling their eyes for Morgan. They asked the parents and children. They went to the man in the rabbit suit and his assistant while the customers busied themselves with the snacks.

They moved backwards from the spot and searched every place they laid their eyes on. They peeked inside the mirror house, looked behind the balloon cart, and climbed the dragon-shaped tower looking for Morgan. They went further backwards through the field of pegasi and valley of the drakes and stopped when they found a garden, with a massive tree in the middle surrounded by green bushes and colorful flowers.

Robin practically buried his face inside the map, picking their next destination.

Cordelia was waiting for him as she looked around, when she spotted the pair of little red shoes under the tree, hidden behind a thick rows of red and yellow tulips she had to squint to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She tapped Robin's hand and pointed towards the tree, not even waiting for his answer.

Robin looked at the general direction for a moment before finally making his first step.

Cordelia followed, pushing and kicking the worst thoughts she had ever had out of her head. She let out the lump stuck in her chest and smiled when she saw the healthiest shade of pink in the garden, along with a few spots of red.

Robin held Morgan's hand in place and gently rubbed the spots on her cheeks. "Can't you at least cry if you don't see us?" He pinched Morgan's nose, pried her bear away and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her cheeks and put his fingers through her hair as he gave Cordelia a tired smile.

Cordelia patted Morgan's head and went through the girl's soft hair until she felt the bone of Robin's fingers. She put them in her hand and gave a gentle squeeze. "I'll let them know we've found her." She took the bear, and was about to leave the garden area, when she decided to take another look at the pair.

Robin was rocking Morgan in his arms as he kissed her.

And for some reason, Cordelia took out her phone, pointed it at them and gently tapped the camera icon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The latest chapter as of today.


End file.
